By Rubin E. Grant
Major Ogilvie couldn’t refuse the offer because of his family history.
So, when he was asked to take part in the Lettermen of the USA’s 5th Annual “One Yard at a Time Gala,” he readily agreed.
The gala will be held Friday, Feb. 23 at The Club. Guests will have the opportunity to meet and celebrate with military heroes, coaches and former college and professional football players to help raise money for veterans in need.
Proceeds from the gala silent and live auction by Jack Granger of Granger, Thagard & Associates Inc. will benefit discharged veterans and wounded veterans in need.
Ogilvie, who is from Mountain Brook and starred as a running back at the University of Alabama, is the athletic honoree for the gala. Darryl Fuhrman, a former Alabama football player and the founder and president of the Lettermen of the USA, asked Ogilvie to participate in the event.
“Darryl reached out to me last May and wanted to give me an opportunity to talk to our veterans,” Ogilvie said. “I have done some things here and there for veterans and think the gala is one of those unique things. I’ve always tried to support veterans one way or another because my father is a veteran and my father-in-law is a veteran.”
Ogilvie’s father and father-in-law served in the Navy.
Ogilvie, however, made his mark on the football field. After a stellar high school career at Mountain Brook, where he helped lead the Spartans to two state championships in 1975 and 1976, Ogilvie played on two national championship teams in 1978 and 1979 at Alabama under legendary Crimson Tide coach Bear Bryant.
Ogilvie was an All-SEC first team performer in 1979 and second team All-SEC in 1980. He was an Academic All-American in 1979. He was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the 1980 Sugar Bowl. He was captain of the 1980 team and holds the distinction of being named to the All-Decade Team for the 1970s and the 1980s.
He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Today, Ogilvie is an executive with Ready Mix USA, but he still keeps a keen eye on Alabama football, including the recent retirement of Nick Saban as head coach and the hiring of Kalen DeBoer from the University of Washington as his replacement.
“I’m very grateful for coach Saban and Mrs. Saban for all they’ve done at Alabama,” Ogilvie said. “What a run. They were terrific in advancing not only the university but the players and coaches.
“I really like coach DeBoer from what I’ve watched on TV. He’s got a great presence. I’m looking forward to him coaching and doing things the right way.”
Military
Honoree
Ogilvie will be one of two honorees at the gala. The military honoree is retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kirk Stafford. He served eight years with the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, 75th Ranger Regiment.
Stafford now is a senior associate on the Harbert Management Corp.’s infrastructure team.
Before joining HMC in 2019, he served as lead financial analyst at Cigna, where he primarily focused on financial planning and analysis. He previously held a position as director of sales at Interconn Resources LLC, marketing natural gas across the Southeastern United States. He has a bachelor’s in finance from Samford University and an MBA from Auburn University.
Lettermen of the USA is an all-volunteer nonprofit that harnesses the power of former college athletes, as well as active and former coaches nationwide, to provide assistance to veterans and wounded veterans as well as community members who are in need.
It began after the 2011 tornadoes devastated Tuscaloosa. Fuhrman helped organize a flag football game between former Alabama and Auburn players that raised $150,000 for the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund.
“We have taken the many diverse skills of athletes and coaches and built a national platform,” Fuhrman said. “No organization is worth its salt that doesn’t help its own.”
The gala proceeds allow Lettermen of the USA to continue its essential programs: Autographs for Heroes, Homes for Heroes, Interiors for Heroes, Laptops for Heroes, Utilities for Heroes and Taking Care of Our Own.”
Tickets or sponsorship packages for the gala can be purchased at lotusa.org. Click the One Yard at a Time Gala link. For more information call 205-394-7521.
